


Smoke

by Rulerofyouall



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Fire, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Injury, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd-centric, Jason-centric, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28785708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rulerofyouall/pseuds/Rulerofyouall
Summary: After saving people from a large fire in an apartment complex, everyone seems to have come out unharmed except Jason.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 161





	Smoke

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing!

"Who else is left inside?" Nightwing's voice came through Jason's comms. "I just dropped off Louise from Apartment 4B on the ground."

Barbara's voice came over next. "There is one person in 8A and one in 2C."

"I got 2C." Tim responded.

Jason decided that now was a good time to speak up. He was close to the other one. "8A, heard."

Despite the fact that he had used explosives before in the past, he hated fire, smoke, and everything about it. Cigarettes were one thing, but uncontrolled flames always hit him the wrong way. It would fill his lungs, and then, he wouldn't be able to breathe. That in turn would make him start to panic and his eyes water. He wouldn't be able to see jack shit and always, always, he would wait for an inevitable death.

The death part had only happened once, but it always jumped to the forefront of his mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. There was someone depending on him.

The fire department was trying their best to douse the flames, but it would not be fast enough for whoever was still trapped inside. He had to get there in time ~~unlike Bruce~~ and make sure they survived ~~unlike Bruce~~.

He broke open the closest window he found, diving indoors. Smoke billowed out of the new exit, and he clutched his helmet to his face. As long as he didn't feel the smoke burning in his throat, everything would be fine. He'd be clear headed and able to concentrate.

"Hello?" Jason called out, squinting in a desperate attempt to see through the smoke that was quickly sinking to the ground. "Where are you?"

There was a loud, wet cough from a room further inside, and he whipped around towards the sound. He gripped the door knob and slammed it open, ignoring how it burned his hand. As expected, the entire room was up in flames, and he heard crying coming from the closet. It sounded like a young child, probably one who had decided to hide after they got scared.

"Hey." He edged closer. "Can you open the door? I'm coming to get you."

There was another wet cough before it nudged open. The girl, no older than six, had skin that was tinted blue. She wheezed as she breathed, so Jason was confident that she had mucous trapped in her airway. He ran over quickly, ignoring the flames that burned as it licked at his ankles, and she opened her eyes.

"Mama?" She glanced up at him.

Fuck. She had been there long enough, been exposed to the smoke long enough, to become confused.

"Yeah, kid." He went along with her, unhooking his helmet and putting it on her head. "Deep breaths, okay?"

"I'm tired."

"I know." His eyes watered with the sting of the smoke, and he knew very well what was coming next. 

He opened his comms. "Extraction from 8A needed."

"Heard. Batman and I are on our way." Nightwing responded. "Are you all right, Hood?"

He didn't respond, choosing instead to stare into the flames.

_A? Or B? Forehand? Or backhand?_

Jason had grown up to be a tall man, and it was difficult to keep his head out of the smoke. He knelt down, gathering the young girl in his arms. He couldn't let her die here. Bruce would come. Bruce would always come, right? He was on his way already.

The smoke burned his lungs, and his body jolted with thousands of phantom pains that had no visible cause. Why was he here again? His mother led him here, right? But she betrayed him to the Joker, and now, the explosion had caused uncontrollable flames that coated the insides of his throat.

No. He wasn't there. He was in Gotham, and there was a child depending on him. Jason shook his head, stumbling towards the exit, yet again ignoring the flames that burned his clothes and seared his skin. He had dealt with worse before.

...but what if this was a trick? What if the Joker led him to believe that he had escaped his fate in the warehouse just to bring him back again? He had given him a small taste of freedom; that's all.

He hated to admit it, but the realization almost made him drop the ailing child. Jason coughed hard, trying to clear his lungs of the smoke, but it didn't do too much to help him. 

"Bruce?" He wheezed out. When had his voice become hoarse. "Bruce!"

Jason fell to his knees. The water streaming down his face was just due to the irritation the smoke had caused, right? He wasn't _actually_ crying or anything.

He just wanted his dad to save him for once. Jason clutched the child close to his chest, covering both of his ears and rocking slowly back and forth. Where was he? Jason thought that Bruce would come.

"Little Wing?" He felt someone kneel next to him and carefully pry the young child from his grasps. "Can you let her go?" 

Jason cracked open his eyes. Dick was wearing a rebreather, but he could see the concern bleeding from his gaze.

"Hmm?" He frowned, not quite understanding what he was saying. 

"B is coming." He continued. "Can you stand up?"

His knees flared once more, almost as though he had been whaled again with a crowbar. He groaned a bit, stumbling to his feet, but his knees gave out immediately. His ass hit the charred floor, but his brother had managed to wrestle the child from him.

"Get her out of here." Jason wheezed a bit, slumping backwards until he was supine on the ground.

Dick glanced reluctantly back to the brother he would be leaving in the burning building, but he took one more look at the small child before grappling away. Jason was well and truly alone now. It was him, the flames, and the black fog, just waiting once more for his father to save him.

But why couldn't he _fucking_ move? His legs were full of lead, but his head was in the clouds. He wanted to move, to get the hell out of there. Nothing would cooperate.

Someone else landed in through the broken window. His boots crunched on the shards of glass as he approached the fallen vigilante. Why couldn't he move? This man was coming for him.

"Jay?" He felt two strong hands under his shoulders, and they lifted him into the man's shoulder.

Jason breathed as deeply as he could, wheezing hard. "B?"

"Let's get out of here."

That was the last thing he remembered of the incident.

The next time he was conscious, there was something down his throat. He hacked, gagging in a vain attempt to remove it before even opening his eyes. He had been intubated at some point while he was unconscious, probably in an attempt to keep clean air going into his lungs and remove the blackened smoke that coated his insides.

Someone squeezed his hand, and Jason stilled. Where was he? He cracked open his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the influx of light, and the large figure slowly came into focus. It was Bruce.

"Jaylad?" Bruce leaned in. "How are you doing?"

"What the-" Jason paused, grimacing as his throat burned with his speech. He coughed again.

"You did well last night." He commented. "The girl, Mary by the way, probably would not have lived if you hadn't given her your helmet."

"She's okay?"

"Shaken, but yes, she's fine."

Bruce shifted a bit. "You knew you would panic. Why did you volunteer to get her?"

"Don't lecture me right now."

"I won't. I would just like to know why." He gripped Jason's hand tighter.

He shrugged. "I was the closest."

"Don't forget to care for yourself."

"Says you." Jason snorted. "What was I supposed to do? Nothing?" His ankles burned, and he was reminded for his disregard for the flames earlier.

Bruce shook his head. "We were there to help." He paused. "Were you trying to prove something?"

"I don't fucking know, B. I'm tired."

"All right. Sleep." He leaned back in his chair. "I will be here when you wake."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated!


End file.
